Visual Reward System
Sometime a visual reward system helps one to stay motivated. For example, put all of the money you would have spent on Starbucks or cigarettes in a piggy bank and count it at the end of the week. Savings from a daily Starbucks Venti Latte alone could be $35 in one week, and one pack of cigarettes per day could add up to $44 in a weeks time! That’s a savings of $140 and $176 respectively per month and $1,680 and $2,112 per year respectively for giving up Starbucks coffee or cigarette smoking. If you give up both, that’s a vacation for two to Hawaii!
Emotional First Aid Kit
When our agenda spirals out of control, have an emotional first aid kit on hand. Journaling or meditation can help to re-center one’s focus and can be a great form or releasing and letting go of negative thought patterns which compromise our desire to lead healthier lives. Sometimes we just need reassurance or a “pat-on-the back” for a job well done. Try calling your “work-out buddy” or someone from your support group and talking through the challenge instead of contending with the issue alone.
Self-Affirmation
Jeremy Dean in Making Habits, Breaking Habits offers a self-affirmation technique:
‘Another trick to boost your self-control in the moment is to use self-affirmation techniques. This involves simply thinking about something that is important to you, like your friends, family or a higher ideal. Studies suggest this can boost depleted willpower, even when your ideas aren't connected to the habit you are trying to ingrain.’
New Years resolutions can be a great tool to improve our lives! Draw upon the power of New years resolutions as many people are attempting to make similar changes at the same time as you. The power comes from this sense of collective strength that we can use to transmute our inner workings to the outer world. Happy New Year to to you All and may all your New Years resolutions teach and inspire you to become your very best!